Punjab education budgetary allocations 2010-2011

Not much again for education
Lahore, June 05: The Punjab government is unlikely to make any substantial
increase in budgetary allocations for education for the Annual
Development Plan (2010-2011) and it is likely to allocate almost Rs 22
billion for the new fiscal year, it is learnt.

Nonetheless,
the government is likely to slash considerably the development budget
for special education and literacy and non-formal basic education while
a meager increase is likely in the development budget for school and
higher education.

According to sources privy to developments,
the Punjab government is likely to allocate almost Rs 14 billion for
school education, almost Rs 7 billion for higher education, some Rs 500
million for literacy and non-formal basic education and about Rs 550
million for special education for the ADP.

For the ADP
2009-10, the Punjab government had earmarked Rs 13.6 billion for school
education, Rs 6.125 billion for higher education, Rs 800 million for
literacy and non-formal basic education and Rs 1 billion for special
education.

Besides budgetary allocations for many ongoing
schemes at the school side, funds have been fixed for new schemes. Some
of the new schemes include the provision of modern science laboratories
in around 1000 high and higher secondary schools and computer labs in
selected elementary schools.

At the college side, the allocation
includes support for public sector universities of the province and
introduction of a 4-year BS programme in 26 selected colleges across
the province.

The colleges include Lahore's Govt College of
Science, Wahdat Road, Govt Islamia College Civil Lines, Govt MAO
College, Govt College for Women, Samanabad, Govt College for Women,
Gulberg, and Govt College for Women, Cooper Road, Bahawalpur's Govt SE
College and Govt Sadiq Degree College for Girls, DG Khan's Govt College
and Govt College for Women, Faisalabad's Govt College, Samanabad and
Govt College for Women, Madina Town, Gujranwala's Govt College for
Women, Satellite Town and Govt College for Boys, Satellite Town,
Sialkot's Govt Murray College and Govt College for Women, Kutchery
Road, Multan's Govt College, Bosan Road and Govt College, Kutchery
Road, Rawalpindi's Govt Gordon College and Govt Postgraduate College
for Women, Satellite Town, Jhelum's Govt Postgraduate College,
Chakwal's Govt Postgraduate College, Sahiwal's Govt College and Govt
Postgraduate College for Women and Sargodha's Govt Ambala Muslim
College and Govt College for Women, Chandni Chowk.

When
contacted, Secretary Schools Muhammad Aslam Kamboh said the actual
budget for the School Education Department for development would be
around Rs 17 billion as some allocation was not reflected in the ADP.

The
allocation for Centres of Excellence Authority, dealing with government
schools, will not reflect in ADP, yet it is very much related to the
department, he added.

Provincial Minister for Excise and
Taxation and Transport Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman, who also has additional
charge of the Ministry of Education and Literacy, could not be
contacted despite repeated calls to his cell phone.

Punjab Minister for Special Education Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channer was also not available for comment.

Education neglected: UAF issues notices to 13 students
Faisalabad: Dissatisfied with the written and verbal reply of
the students who were charge-sheeted for staging demonstrations for the
restoration of ad hoc teachers, the University of Agriculture
Faisalabad's disciplinary committee has now issued show-cause notices
to the students of physics department and asked them to explain their
position on June 22, it's learnt.

Sources said the show-cause
notices had been issued to 13 students of the physics department for
staging demonstrations on April 19 and 28 against the expulsion of ad
hoc teachers.

A show-cause notice, a copy of which is
available with Dawn, reads: "You appeared before the disciplinary
advisory committee on May 3 and submitted your reply in writing and
also explained verbally the charges levelled against you through a
letter.

"The committee has examined your reply/verbal
statement and concluded that you were involved in the act of
indiscipline and misconduct and the charges levelled against you were
correct.

"Therefore you are directed to appear before the
committee on June 22 at 10am in the office of the committee chairman at
the faculty of veterinary sciences with your written statement, and
explain verbally as to why you should not be punished under rule 4 of
the Discipline and Conduct Regulations, 1978.

"If you fail to appear before the committee on the scheduled date and time, ex-parte decision will be taken."

The students were charge-sheeted on April 28 for allegedly inciting
their fellow students to stage a demonstration on the campus and
'tarnishing' the university's image.

Students came face to face with the university after it expelled some of the teachers who were supervising their research.

Some students who have been issued show-cause notices said hundreds of
their fellow students blocked main Jail Road during a protest on
Thursday, but no action was taken against them. They said they were
being punished on the pretext of indiscipline. Dawn

Students protest against 3-month vacations
Lahore: Student of private schools
protested against three-months long summer vacations in the provincial
capital, demanding a reduction in the duration, a private TV channel
reported on Friday.

Students of Moonlight Public School, Nisbat
Road during the protest said due to the long summer vacations they did
not get enough time to prepare for the matriculation exams. The
All-Pakistan Private Schools Management Association president said
private education institutions in other provinces had not announced
three months of summer vacations, adding it was unjustified to close
the schools until September 9, the channel reported. Daily times